A winter storm warning was in effect for north Georgia and a winter weather advisory for north of metro Atlanta with snow and ice in some areas across the region, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologists.
Light frozen precipitation is also possible in the northern suburbs, according to meteorologists Brad Nitz and Glenn Burns.
The winter storm warning is in effect for Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Lumpkin, Pickens, Towns, Union and White counties. The winter advisory is for Habersham, Rabun, Banks, Bartow, Cherokee, Floyd, Forsyth and Hall counties.
Some school districts had already begun closing schools for Wednesday. See the latest school closings here.
Atlanta’s emergency warming shelter will remain open until temperatures rise and remain above freezing to ensure that Atlanta residents have a safe place to keep warm, the city announced. The emergency shelter at Old Adamsville recreation facility, at 3404 Delmar Lane, will open each night at 7 p.m. and remain open until noon the following day.
For more information, contact the Office of Constituent Services at (404) 330-6023.
Burns said snow is now forecast farther south with a trace of snow possible into the northern suburbs before changing to rain. He said far north Georgia could see snow by 10 a.m. while freezing precipitation could arrive in metro Atlanta around lunchtime.
Nitz said the early morning hours Wednesday could see an area of snow in parts of far north Georgia and rain from metro Atlanta to the south with the exception of the norther suburbs.
“Rain is likely Thursday into Friday, and then the risk of a few storms mixed in Friday as we get a little warmer,” Nitz said.
In metro Atlanta, temperatures will warm later in the week, with highs reaching the 50s Thursday. But there’s a 40 percent chance of precipitation Wednesday, which increases to 60 percent Thursday and Friday.
The Georgia Department of Transportation told Channel 2, trucks are on standby and salt yards are stocked in the metro area to respond to the winter weather.
State troopers, Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service are using weather monitoring sensors to monitor the temperature of pavement.
Natalie Dale, a Department of Transportation sportswoman, said there are still several unknowns.
“Is it going to be ice? Is it going to be sleet? Is it going to be snow,” Dale asked. “Once we get a better idea as to what the precipitation is going to be and how it will react with the roadway, we make that decision about 24 hours ahead of the system.”
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